Léon Jessel

German theater conductor and composer of operettas and short orchestral pieces.
b. January 22, 1871 in Stettin, Germany (now Szczecin, Poland)
d. January 4, 1942 in Berlin, Germany

Jessel worked as a conductor in several German cities before finally moving to Berlin in 1911. Between 1913 and 1936, he wrote 29 operettas. His greatest success was "Das Schwarzwaldmädel" (Girl from the Black Forest, 1917), which was performed around 6,000 times, including internationally, and turned into a movie in 1933. Another hit operetta was "Die Postmeisterin" (The Postmistress, 1921).

Jessel also enjoyed international renown with two character pieces, "Der Rose Hochzeitszug" (The Wedding of the Rose, 1911, op. 216) and the march "Die Parade der Zinnsoldaten" (The Parade of the Tin Soldiers, 1905, op. 123). The latter was included in the 1920s revue "La Chauve-Souris" as "The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" and featured in an animated Betty Boop film of the same title (Paramount, 1933). The piece also became the signature tune of the popular "Toytown" series on BBC Radio's "Children’s Hour" (1929-1932).

Jessel's conversion to Christianity in 1894, his nationalist views, and the Nazi party membership of his wife Anna did not protect him from Nazi persecution because of his Jewish descent. In January 1938, he was excluded from the Reichsmusikkammer and thus prevented from working professionally. Arrested and tortured by the Gestapo in December 1941, the 70-year-old Jessel died of his injuries in a Jewish hospital in Berlin on January 4, 1942.